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Disney’s remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs faces much controversy long before its release, which is set for March 22, 2024. The film has been garnering backlash for numerous reasons. Many took issue with casting West Side Story star Rachel Zegler, a Latina actress, as the iconic Disney Princess. Other casting controversies and the story itself are also causing a stir. Now, another issue has arisen on Twitter regarding a resurfaced Variety interview with Zegler and evil queen portrayer Gal Godot. Zegler said, “It’s no longer 1937,” and that Snow White would not be saved by the prince, nor would she dream about true love.
Let’s examine this topic and other controversies surrounding Disney’s Snow White remake.
Rachel Zegler Says Snow White Will Not Be Waiting for Her Prince to Come
Echoing a cry made famous by Keira Knightley on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Snow White remake won’t have its title character waiting around for a prince to come save her. Zegler said in the Variety interview that Snow White is “dreaming of becoming the leader she knows she can be, and the leader that her late father told her that she could be if she was fearless, fair, brave, and true.” Modern audiences are not fond of “the patriarchy,” nor are they fond of princes kissing princesses while they’re sleeping. Therefore, the Snow White remake has made some adjustments to the story. Disney took a similar approach in their recent remake of The Little Mermaid by changing song lyrics and having Ariel kill Ursula instead of Prince Eric.
While this approach may delight some modern audiences, it has sparked controversy for the Snow White remake. Many critics feel this is another example of an anti-Prince Charming agenda, which they consider a form of feminist man-hating. Many feminists encourage female independence and not needing a man. The Atlantic took issue with this approach in Disney movies after the release of Frozen, suggesting this message demeans women who dream of having a good man. Not all women are on board with this mindset being pushed into Disney movies.
The Snow White Remake Garners Backlash for Set Photos and Casting Choices
While the Variety interview happened in September of 2022, it has primarily resurfaced due to a more recent controversy. Photos from the Snow White set revealed that the seven characters accompanying Snow White weren’t all dwarfs. They were actors of different heights, races, and genders. This sparked outrage among right-wing commentators, such as Matt Walsh of The Daily Wire, who accused Disney of “woke” casting choices. While a Disney representative claimed the photos were fake, Disney later revealed the photos were real but not official.
Like the Variety story, this isn’t exactly new information. It was revealed last year that the dwarves would be replaced with magical creatures. This change was mainly made due to backlash from dwarf activists. One example is actor Peter Dinklage, who feels this is a “backward story” that typecasts dwarf actors in stereotypical roles.
While many share Dinklage’s views, he’s not the only dwarf in the entertainment industry. Jackass star Jason “Wee Man” Acuña told TMZ he disagreed with this story change, feeling it ultimately takes job opportunities away from dwarf actors. He also pointed out the hypocrisy of a movie industry that would change dwarves into average-sized characters while casting Hugh Grant as an Ooompa-Loompa. When asked how Disney could make this right, Wee Man said they should redo the movie and recast the roles with dwarf performers.
Will the Snow White Remake’s Controversy Hurt the Disney Image?
Disney can’t win them all when trying to appeal to current audiences. Is this controversy going to prove troublesome for the Snow White remake? While not everyone was a fan of similar changes in The Little Mermaid, the movie still did well at the box office. Time will tell if Disney will have similar success with Snow White.
